I wish to share my time with Deputy Perry.
Irish Sports Council Bill, 1998: Second Stage (Resumed).
Question again proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time".
That is agreed.
This Bill is welcome. The creation of a sports council on a statutory basis is important. Sport plays an ever increasing valued role in the life and development of communities. If we promote sport correctly, it will have a significant impact on the quality of life for all. Its potential to improve society is enormous. Sport can provide an environment where physical health can be enhanced as well as catering for the mental well-being of those who participate in and are touched by it.
It is important we should have a national body to set standards, create a value system and enhance the cause of sport. It is important that the traditional value of fair play is respected. We must create an environment where cynicism and gamesmanship along with commercial excess are frowned upon. Winning at all costs is not the best policy. What matters is how one plays the game. A sports council could consider how to involve people in sport at all levels and to widen as far as possible the availability of sport to enable everyone to participate in it.
The potential of sport to encourage young people to focus and to address their lives in a particular way is enormous. We are all aware that those who are involved in sporting activities are far less likely to become involved in drug abuse, other antisocial behaviour or in lives of crime. The question of drugs in sport is one we must address. Drugs are a cancer eating away at the heart and fabric of society. The public must be clear that taking performance enhancing drugs in sport is irresponsible behaviour. If drugs are tolerated or perceived to be tolerated, that would pose a danger to the value of sport. Heroes are created and when young people see them felled, they ask questions. If their role models take drugs to be successful, they would ask themselves if they should also take drugs to achieve success. If drugs are acceptable in sport, they might ask themselves if they are acceptable in daily life. Taking drugs is not acceptable. The Minister must enforce and promote a drug free culture in every aspect of sport.
Structures must be immediately put into operational mode with power to insist that the governing bodies of all sports are active in promoting a drugs free culture and financial supports and competent sampling and testing must be operated by the Department. The Government, through the Departments of Education and Science, and Health and Children must develop comprehensive education programmes to ensure the youth understand and embrace the unacceptability of performance enhancing drugs. When a coach or any other person provides or encourages taking such substances, they should be banned for life from having any involvement in any sporting body in this country.
We have seen how people of the calibre of Brian Kerr have impacted in an inspirational way on young people. That is the type of issue the sports council should examine. It should examine how people can be enabled to make a positive contribution in a meaningful way which will allow them to touch the lives of those around them. The capability to develop a positive attitude, sportsmanship, team building and self-confidence in young people is enormous.
Sport can do so much more than formal education. It can bring people together and make them understand the need for team work, co-operation, setting sights, having targets and scoring goals. As we face into the next millennium, it will be increasingly important to ensure people are not only trained to work but that training and support is available to them to enable them use their leisure time in a constructive and valuable way. We all know about contributions towards creating an enhanced society, but it is also important that people should be encouraged to take part in sport not only at a particular stage in their lives but throughout their lives. It is obvious that those who are involved in sport and in community related activities will be physically healthier than those who are not, and in the long run they will cost the State considerably less.
It is important that the State recognises and starts to direct sufficient funds towards helping people to promote sport within their communities. Voluntary leaders, who devote so much of their time towards helping young people and trying to make their communities better places, are the unsung heroes. They are real patriots and contribute to the life blood of society day in and day out for little thanks. All too often they have to struggle against the odds and are involved not only in training young people and organising events in a particular sport, but in trying to gather a few shillings to develop and improve physical aspects of their clubs, such as club houses, pitches and so on.
The Government should consider devoting a percentage of revenue each year solely for the promotion of sport. It is welcome that for the first time a Minister with responsibility for sport sits at Cabinet. The Minister must use his position in the interest of developing sport in a positive and constructive way to ensure that it flourishes and develops and that the benefits of it are maximised. This Bill is one step along the way. We need much more proactive development from the Minister. The Government must contribute in the long run to developing sport of all types in every parish and community, meeting fully the needs of all the people.
I thank Deputy Cosgrave for sharing his time with me. Sport occupies a valued and important position in the lives of people. As we approach the 21st century, the nature and delivery of Irish sport is changing. There is a need to address the planned and sustainable development of sport for the foreseeable future. Traditional approaches need to be reappraised in the light of new developments and likely future demands. People take part in sport for many reasons — competition, fun, social contacts and health and fitness. The contribution sport makes to the quality of life of people and the economy in general has increased significantly in recent years. The contribution of all sports organisations and volunteers over the years has formed the back bone of the existing structures in sport.
On behalf of Fine Gael, I extend my deepest sympathy to the wife and family of Noel Carroll, who contributed enormously to Irish sporting life. He made a fantastic contribution and played a huge role in the visionary document "Targeting Sporting Change in Ireland", which forms the back bone of the new innovative policy. His memory will live on long after the new millennium. His vision and dedication to youth sports will be a lasting testimony to his great efforts. Deputy Allen cannot be here today, unfortunately, and he asked me to convey that message.
The continuity, progression and effective use of resources are critical success factors in the future development of sport. The goal is to build an integrated and co-ordinated sports system where sound technical and professional expertise combine with the energy and commitment of volunteers. Volunteers work selflessly and are dedicated, and this has led to our success in sport. Their time and energy has ensured sport has reached its current position.
"Sport in Ireland: 1997-2006 and Beyond" is an important document and I am delighted the Minister has taken it on board and put the necessary legislation in place. It is the most important change for many years and will be recognised as one of the major documents to be introduced in the House by the Minister. The purpose of the sports strategy is to provide a blueprint for the development of sport and give it an independent status. It seeks to bring all elements of sport together in a cohesive way for the benefit of all those involved as participants, coaches, leaders and administrators.
Ireland is extremely lucky that it has fantastic sports people. Mark Scanlon from Sligo is a world champion who fought through the system. It is unfortunate to hear of controversy with regard to drugs. Despite that, 98 per cent of people are in sport for the right reasons. Mark Scanlon was dedicated, cycling 25 to 30 miles daily. He did not have a sponsor or somebody to push him, but had the persistence and determination to succeed. While he is now in popular demand with sponsors, it is unfortunate that people have to fight very hard unless they reach his level. He had little or no support when he was a member of the cycling club in Sligo but once he became world champion people were queuing up to meet him. The Minister should target those who need help as early as possible. If Mark Scanlon did not have vision and the support of his family to bring him through, he would not be a world champion today.
Community-based indoor recreation facilities should be developed in identifying priority areas, particularly where existing provision is well below an agreed national average. Where there is a huge population base, people tend to say it makes sense but it is fairer to spread the development of such facilities. There is a huge necessity for multipurpose recreational centres. Priority should be given to the development of new community based sports centres where the opportunity exists to meet the dual demands of providing a school-based sports facility in conjunction with community recreational facilities.
Many hotels have private facilities, which help a great deal in tourism promotion. Obviously, they are aimed at an elite market but I was in a hotel recently where I was told that only 1 per cent of the clientele use the sports facilities. There are exclusive clubs for members and friends who pay £400 or £500 for membership. The facilities are provided out of their own resources. However, there is huge scope for developing facilities in schools which cater for the school and the community. The former Minister for Finance, Mr. MacSharry, allocated almost £1 million for a 25 metre swimming pool in Sligo. There is also a sports complex, which is a huge facility, but, as previous speakers indicated, the time has come to invest in sport. Sport is the greatest facility for our youth. The dangers of drugs, etc. are eliminated if people become actively involved at a young age.
Sports facilities should be provided in the building of community centres where the expressed demand matches the real demand. Sport provides great satisfaction and enjoyment for people of all ages and backgrounds. It also provides great occasions for celebrating excellence and achievement and enhances the health and well-being of the participants. These values add enormously to the quality of life of all people and should be proportionately recognised in Government policy, as they are by the Minister.
The key aspects of strategies for the future should involve sport for young people, which is critically important; recreational and high performance sport; sports facilities and natural resources and training and development. More young people should be involved in sport at all levels and encouraged to develop a life long interest in playing and enjoying sport. That is the real challenge. Funding for the recommendations in the document to which I referred earlier will be critically important. The national lottery has sales of almost £200 million. When it was set up its focus was to help sporting activities. The Minister should seriously examine this organisation. It is looking seriously at major projects but there are communities with a fantastic ability to raise money and it is amazing what they can do with a small amount.
High performance athletes and teams should be supported to reach their full potential in national and international sports by providing quality coaching, training, technical support, appropriate competition and facilities. Our greatest ambassadors are our sports people, who are recognised throughout the world. Ireland has a fantastic image abroad and the return on investment in this area of sport would be quadrupled. It is necessary to develop a network of trained volunteers and professionals working harmoniously and successfully in all aspects of sport. New jobs will need to be created which will link closely with the voluntary tradition of sport.
We have been extraordinarily fortunate to have people who devote weekend after weekend and night after night to sports. The Minister has a unique opportunity to tap into that energy. In this era of commercialisation and the ongoing debate about a minimum wage the real heroes are those who coach and line pitches on Saturdays. They should be supported as it would be the best investment. When we reach the millennium we should have a thriving sporting sector. This new independent statutory group is being set up to regulate the sector. I appeal to the Minister to ensure that the nine members he appoints to the board are practitioners who have worked hard in the field and know how difficult sport is. We do not need people to lecture us on sport, we need people with proven track records who have trained early in the morning, started from the bottom up and know what sport needs. I am sure there are plenty of those people.
To develop a strong, well co-ordinated sports sector, which maximises national strengths and resources, we should also address the following issues. We should use the unique characteristics of sport to help overcome the isolating effects of social exclusion. Many people in excluded communities feel sport is not for them but for the well-heeled, and we must involve everyone. Every child coming through school should have sporting opportunities. If parents cannot afford to pay for coaching it should be made available, no one should feel excluded.
Irish women should be encouraged to participate in sport on an equal basis at all levels and age groups — we have seen how successful they are on the world stage. We should provide full access to sport on an integrated basis to people with disabilities. The Minister has been supportive of the Special Olympics and that is also important.
We should ensure Irish sport is fully involved in European sport and the wider international arena. There should be no difficulty about funding people who travel to compete in Europe. If we have people good enough to compete on the European or world stage, money should be made available to them.
Some £200 million is being raised through the national lottery and the people who contribute to that fund are delighted to know it goes towards sport. Lottery money also goes towards many other good causes. When it began in 1987 one of its principal aims was to develop sport in Ireland, but much of its funds have been diverted elsewhere since then and we should consider redirecting them towards sport.
I am delighted to be able to speak on this issue. I compliment my colleague, the former Minister, Deputy Allen, who worked on the visionary document for sporting change in Ireland, and congratulate the Minister for putting the document on a legislative footing.
I compliment the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation for bringing the Bill before us. The speedy drafting and presentation of the Bill shows the wisdom of the Government's approach to sport in appointing a Minister of Cabinet rank to deal with the sector. Sport has often been the poor relation in the Cabinet room but those days are gone. I congratulate the Minister for his down to earth and common sense approach to his brief, which has been all the more effective for that. For a country which prides itself on its involvement in and healthy attitude to sport, the delay in the provision of an Irish Sports Council on a statutory basis is baffling. The measure introduced by the Minister is not only long overdue but will shepherd sport into the new millennium in a professional and caring way.
As we have seen in recent years, sport is no longer about athletes, hurlers, footballers, boxers, etc., entering their respective arenas to do battle in a fair but often haphazard fashion. We have come a long way from the more relaxed era of Olympic heroes like Dr. Pat O'Callaghan and Bob Tisdall, a time when athletes could decide almost at random to compete in a particular discipline at the Olympic Games, with a reasonable prospect of success. The greats of another era included Mr. Frank Murphy and the late Noel Carroll. I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Murphy for the first time last night, and he spoke fondly of Noel Carroll. I extend my sympathy to his widow and family on his untimely passing. As a young boy I remember him competing over 800 metres on many occasions, invariably coming from the back and winning. He was an inspiration to me and many others.
In more recent times sport has been taken out of the hands of the participants and given over to coaches, medical directors and administrators, often to the detriment of the game. Medals seem to be won in the laboratory rather than on track or in a field. Worse still, a sad and miserable picture has unfolded of myriad abuses in sport. The swimming debacle has been exposed to public view after many years behind closed doors, and if I am not going to discuss that area in detail it is only because of legal restraints. As one who has been involved in one sport or another for most of my life, and who has had responsibility for encouraging young people into sport, I condemn and deplore without reservation the happenings in swimming pools and other club houses and changing rooms. If the knowledge we have gained, combined with the strength and authority of a statutorily based sports council, can prevent those abuses, that alone would be sufficient reason for setting it up. There must be a visible and accessible mechanism for protecting the vulnerable in sport. Knowing what we now know, young people must never again be subjected to abuse of any kind within sport, and they must have the best protection the legal system can extend.
This year also the scourge of drugs in sport has become a major issue. Whether the problem is home based or imported from abroad, there must be no hiding place for cheats in sport, and that message must go out loud and clear from this forum. It is in our hands to restore the innocence of sport and protect it from those who would exploit it solely for financial gain. It is less than healthy that television companies are almost more powerful than sports governing bodies, as shown by cross-channel events, but it serves to indicate the direction taken by money-based sport.
The Bill is not extensive but it need not be — the less interference from the Legislature the better in this instance. However, we have a duty to ensure that sport is promoted effectively and administered properly and fairly, that the participants are not exposed to unnecessary risk and that a watchdog is working on behalf of citizens. The Minister has provided adequately for this in the legislation, with the proposed Irish Sports Council filling in the blanks where required. The functions of the new council, as defined in section 6, are admirable and comprehensive. Not alone are the broad guidelines indicative of the way people would like to see professional sport develop, and of the safeguards they would like to be applied, but an emphasis is placed on recreational sport also.
It would be all too easy to see sport merely in terms of high profile professional participants, but it is about more than that. This has been recognised for decades in Ireland and over the years the "sport for all" concept has taken hold, from the "Be Active, Be Alive" campaign to the more recent "Get Active, Get Alive" promotion. These have worked well in their time, and within the constraints of budget and philosophy, but we must now be even more professional.
Much of the responsibility for the promotion of sport as a pleasant element of everyday life rests with schools and PE teachers. PE teachers are still not as well regarded as those teaching academic subjects, and it is up to the council to raise further the profile of sport in schools to make it both a desirable activity and a subject on a par with languages and the sciences. This will not happen overnight but it is necessary and inevitable.
The value of sport to young people cannot be overstated. Teachers constantly say that, for students who have little aptitude for academic life, sport can be a lifeline or even the difference between being a well balanced adult or a social misfit. An investment in sport for those apparently disadvantaged students would pay major dividends in later life, but unfortunately this is rarely recognised at official level. The members of the new Irish Sports Council would be familiar with that philosophy, but we must also provide the resources to facilitate such an investment.
While on the subject of sport in schools I congratulate St. Augustine's college, Dungarvan, which has represented Ireland in two successive years and on both occasions has won the European schools competition against some of the more advanced schools in Europe. This is a splendid achievement which shows some of our sport's potential in the years ahead. In that college, as in so many others around the country, they know the value of sport in the lives of their students. Let me quote their principal, Fr. Moran:
I have seen students do well in a variety of sports and disciplines other than the classroom, and I have seen how much it has encouraged their overall performance. If we can improve the whole person, then we have produced balanced individuals who will be better able to fit in, whatever slot they find in life.
It is this practical application of sport which will benefit students most in the years ahead. There is a huge potential for recreational sport and leisure tourism here. It is an area which should be exploited to the full. It is capable of giving good employment in a safe, clean and healthy environment. In many instances it is a most desirable area in which to work.
The potential in the home market is tremendous and there is no doubt that with the perception abroad of Ireland as having a clean environment we could capitalise greatly to the benefit of job seekers and the Exchequer. I would caution, however, that there are areas of the industry at present where working conditions are less than generous, in some instances downright exploitative, and I find this less than acceptable, particularly where the facilities have been provided with the assistance of public finance. In this respect the industry will have to get its act together and recognise that it is becoming a major employer with all the responsibility that brings with it. For the employee attendance is for work, not play, and this should be recognised in remuneration, working conditions, holidays and rostering.
It would be wrong of me not to avail of this opportunity to congratulate and thank the very many sports people from the county and city of Waterford who have made their mark both nationally and internationally in the past few years. Perhaps the first of those in more recent times is the distinguished chief executive officer of the Irish Sports Council, John Treacy, who brought back silver from Los Angeles in one of the most testing and demanding of all events, the Olympic marathon. His performance that day and the pictures from the streets of Los Angeles will forever live in the memories of all Waterford people, and there can be no more appropriate, more qualified or more effective individual in this country for the office he holds as the chief executive of the Sports Council. I congratulate him on his achievements in the field, on the strides he has already made in bringing the administration and supervision of sport into the modern era and on the professional and realistic approach he has adopted towards his given task. He has had much work to do, attitudes to change, and extraordinary difficulties to overcome, and there is much work yet to be done.
Seán Kelly too has been a major inspiration and a source of pride to all Waterford people. His work of promoting this country abroad can never be overstated nor fully acknowledged. Though a shy person by nature, he has been a very effective ambassador abroad. Where many speak of their contribution, his has been one of action. In that respect his work in getting the Tour de France to come to Ireland should be acknowledged. In the light of events after the tour had left our shores it might not be politic to talk too much about it, but let us remember that before the decision was made to bring the tour here all and sundry were clamouring for the event and still are. It may not have lived up to its reputation as the spectacle it undoubtedly can be, but I am happy that we as a nation got good value for money from the tour.
As part of our development and maturing as a nation, we need to be able to project ourselves as a competent people capable not only of living in but also of being leaders of a united Europe. We handled the arrangements for the tour very competently as a value-for-money exercise as regards publicity abroad and the promotion of the country as a tourism destination, and I congratulate all those involved. We did very well indeed. The pictures that went abroad could have been seen not only as pretty but also as positive.
In the matter of drugs in sport, I have no difficulty in condemning such practice wherever it may occur. It is impractical to expect that during the three days when the event was in Ireland we could have done anything about a problem which had yet to be exposed. Those who have the tour for four weeks each year and who are closer to it are the ones with most responsibility for policing it, and, of course, the whole commercialism of that and many other sports would benefit from a major study. I repeat, lest anyone think otherwise, that I see no place for banned drugs in sport and will support all reasonable efforts, like the ones before us today, to control and eliminate them.
This has been an extraordinary year for Waterford on the Gaelic field, by any standard. It was the year when Waterford lady footballers dominated their sport, winning all-Ireland honours at three levels, including senior, with a fourth team winning a Munster title for good measure — I apologise to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for bringing that up. This was a commendable achievement, especially in the light of standards prevailing in the game at the moment. I was in Croke Park last month to see them win the senior final in a replay against the worthy and gallant Monaghan side. I was extremely proud to be there, although a little sad when I reflected later that, despite being a regular visitor to the venue since my childhood, this is the first time that I saw a Waterford captain in the person of Siobhán O'Ryan lift a cup aloft in Croke Park. This was a year when ladies football was unveiled to the public at large. At last, courtesy of RTE, the Irish public were able to see that ladies football is not just a female version of that which men play but an exciting and, I suggest, a better game in its own right, played by talented, committed and skilful women. The curtains have been drawn back and under the glare of the national spotlight, ladies' football has experienced a new birth. I am delighted the Waterford organisation has been a splendid midwife.
The name of Michael Ryan will be forever etched in the annals of the game as one of the greats of all time. Through him and national president Noel Murray, together with the effective and extensive administration and coaching team in County Waterford, I extend my congratulations and the good wishes of the people of Waterford to those involved in the sport.
Hurling too has experienced a resurgence and, even though we came through the senior campaign with no trophies to show for our many outings, there was a new pride in Waterford which extends to all our people regardless of whether they are avid supporters. That is what sport can do. This was entertainment at its best, and as the game of hurling is uniquely Irish, the GAA can be proud of having a game which is on a par with or even better than anything offered on our screens today.
I do not wish to labour the point, but the debate is about sport, and it would be wrong not to acknowledge in full measure all those who have been successful on the sports field in Ireland and abroad, especially those from my own county and city.
In the fields of athletics, cycling, boxing, show-jumping, soccer, board-sailing, horse racing and many other disciplines, we have produced a host of world class participants. They have made our people proud, have given splendid performances and have given magnificent entertainment. This, too, is what sport is about, and it is unnecessary for anybody to consult a dictionary to find that it should be primarily about enjoyment both for those taking part and for those who watch.
I am pleased too that the Minister has not parted with the responsibility for the allocation of local sports grants to organisations. There are circumstances where local knowledge is required and where particular local conditions need to be taken into account when allocating grants. Very often the amounts are not as large as applicant bodies would like, but they fulfil a purpose and serve to affirm the good work which is carried on at local level.
All in all the Minister has produced a good mix in this Bill. It is not overly intrusive into sport, yet it provides for official involvement when desirable and required. It is a significant advance in the development and maturing of sport here and should be supported on that basis alone.
Let me first express my sympathy to Deirdre Carroll and her family on the death of her husband, Noel. Noel was an ambassador for sport and for Ireland, and a role model for many people who grew up during his era in sport. He continued to be involved in sport over the years and he should be acknowledged in this debate today.
One of my own role models is the current chief executive officer of the Irish Sports Council, John Treacy. I do not think I will ever forget the day he crossed that line to get the silver medal in the Olympics. It was a tremendous achievement for this country. It was something for the young people of that era to look up to.
The Irish Sports Council exists to promote and encourage the development of sport here, and I welcome this Bill to set it up on a statutory basis.
I am aware of cases where people are adamant that various sports should not be promoted. Some people say soccer should not be promoted because it is a foreign game. While those voices are dying out, and the sooner they die out the better, it is vital that all sports irrespective of discipline are promoted. It is crucial that young and older people are encouraged to take part in sport. Sport should be promoted not only among young people although they make up almost half the population, but also among middle aged and elderly people to keep them active. It is important to target this area. Deputy Allen's report, "Targeting Sporting Change in Ireland", covered this issue and he said it should be part of any policies that are formed.
Tourism is related to sport. Golf is a huge tourism attraction and it also encourages more people to take part in sport. This area should be used to encourage more senior people into active participation in sport. Another area is walks, such as the fabulous walk in Arigna which is known as the Miner's Way. Tourism and the active participation of older people in sport are encouraged at the same time. The Slí na Sláinte walks operate in a huge number of towns and these also should be actively promoted. There is a cycle route in my area of south Roscommon. These areas address tourism and health aspects.
There are major health implications in relation to sport. Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in Ireland. Money to promote sport should be provided not only by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation but also by other Departments. It is vital that they encourage and promote sport because a healthy body is a healthy mind.
There is a huge problem in relation to funds. The Minister is aware of the issues involved and the lack of funding. Deputy Perry mentioned national lottery grants. I am disappointed that the Minister suspended these grants over the past 12 months. He had a strong case in terms of the need to reassess the system, but it is disappointing that people do not have the opportunity to apply for such grants. We are waiting since last February for the new application procedure to be announced, which is a long time. It is crucial that the grants are reinstated but also that they are promoted because many people were unaware that money was available under the last scheme. They were not aware of the time schedule involved or that applications had to be submitted before the beginning of March. It is difficult to promote sport without this funding which must be targeted at the youth area and sport.
Many sporting organisations are crying out for funds. For example, in my county the Elphin day care centre wants to build a gymnasium and it is seeking funds for equipment. The facility will be available to elderly people who use the day care centre and the community as a whole. If funds are provided for facilities, it is crucial that they are available to the entire community. In some cases the Minister of the day will provide money to a particular organisation for a pitch or other facilities but the organisation believes only it can use it. It should be a condition of funding that the facilities must be made available to the community as a whole. Another application relates to the girl guides in Roscommon who want to develop a campsite in Castlerea. This would be a huge tourism asset to a small town such as Castlerea and would bring other guide troops to the area. This type of development should be targeted.
A huge and growing problem facing organisations is the lack of parental participation. I am very involved in the community games organisation and I participated in the games up to relatively recently. The people involved when I started in community games are still involved today. There have been very few changes. People who initially brought along their own children to participate in community games or other sports such as swimming have maintained their involvement, but parents who came along later have not taken up the mantle or carried the flame for other young people.
The individuals involved will soon be grandparents and their grandchildren will go through the system. It is unfair that the onus is placed on them. They know that if they pull out, nobody will fill the vacancies. This serious problem must be tackled if sport is to be promoted. The backbone of sporting organisations are the people who run voluntary organisations. They deserve the utmost respect for their efforts.
The allegations of abuse are compounding this problem. The Minister will agree that this only involves a small fraction of the total number of people involved in sporting organisations. However, they hit the headlines and they are the individuals on whom the media focus. It happens in all professions in life, but it only involves a minority of people. The onus is on sporting organisations, and will be on the council when it is established, to ensure that regulations and supports are in place to deal with warning signs if they arise. Proper reporting procedures must be in place.
It has reached the stage that before volunteers become involved in any sporting organisation, regulations have to be in place to protect them as well as the children. Many people who would wish to get involved as volunteers are afraid to do so because of allegations that could be made against them. Nowadays people are conscious of walking down a street and handing a child a sweet. This is the way society has developed and it discourages people from getting involved in sporting organisations and supporting existing volunteers.
Regional sports centres are a huge issue in the town of Athlone, which is in my area. These centres were supposed to be established many years ago and the development of such facilities is vital. There will not be major facilities in all communities and counties but they should be provided on a regional basis. However, the sports centre in Athlone has not yet been built. The issue has been dragged out over many years and there is a need for a certain amount of localised facilities.
My county of Roscommon is not in a unique position in relation to swimming pools. I could not avoid mentioning in a debate on sport the three pools in County Roscommon which are located in Roscommon town, Ballaghaderreen and Castlerea. The Minister is aware of them. Public policy in the UK is that everybody over the age of eight must learn to swim. Such a policy is needed in Ireland. I do not need to remind the Minister of an Adjournment debate matter I tabled recently about three young people from County Sligo who died. A number of them attended the secondary school in Ballaghaderreen. Over £250,000 has been gathered in local fundraising to build a swimming pool, but they cannot get matching funds from the Department. They have given their commitment and put the money up front and yet cannot have a swimming pool. If those young people had access to a swimming pool when in St. Nathan's College, Ballaghaderreen, we may not have had such a tragedy. It is said that young and older people are drowning. A priority of every school should be that its pupils learn to swim.
In the county town of Roscommon there is only one indoor swimming pool. The Minister is well aware of its condition. Given that the floor of the swimming pool is cracked and is leaking, the water level is topped up by a running tap. Sewage is coming back up through the toilets. Due to a shortage of funds the swimming pool has to close for a number of months. Every winter the local sub aqua club which does a tremendous job in search and rescue on the River Shannon tries to locate three or four people. The club which is starved for funding has to bear this additional cost. During the winter months its members travel 30 miles to Ballinasloe to train.
The open air swimming pool in Castlerea which is open during the summer months does not have proper changing facilities. That is the situation in one inland county. Inland counties should receive priority funding for swimming pools. Counties Laois and Offaly and other inland counties have serious problems with swimming pools while coastal counties seem to have got the necessary funding. Swimming pools are not provided where they are needed. People in the inland counties do not have the opportunity to swim until they go to the sea. This presents huge risks.
When established, perhaps the Sports Council will examine the whole area of planning. That every inch of space is built on in large housing estates without provision being made for sport facilities is a disgrace. We may talk about housing density but basic facilities such as a football pitch must be planned for initially. It is difficult to put them in afterwards. The village of Monksland outside Athlone has no facilities. Some 1,000 people in the vicinity do not have a community centre, no place in which to hold a meeting, no football pitch. The county council is the main culprit because it allowed those houses to be built without putting the facilities in place. I ask the Sports Council to examine this area. The onus should not be on the State to provide funds for these facilities. Given that developers are making a killing, they should provide funding for sport and recreation facilities in the communities being developed.
Debate adjourned.